Missing hunter found dead on Holston Mountain

ELIZABETHTON - The death of a 60-year-old Carter County man near
the top of Holston Mountain was a hunting accident, Sheriff John
Henson said Wednesday afternoon.

Henson said William Eddie Arnold, 60, 103 Panhandle Road, had
placed the butt plate of his .30-06 rifle against the ground as he was
crossing a log. Henson said the safety was off.

"It had a hair trigger, and as he was crossing the log some
branches brushed the trigger," Henson said.

The rifle discharged, firing a round upward into Arnold's
midsection. The round traveled upward through his body, Henson said.

Arnold's body was found not far from the WCYB-TV transmission tower
by friends and family around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Henson said. The Carter
County Rescue Squad had searched the mountain for several hours
Tuesday afternoon and evening after the family reported him missing.

The rescue squad members searched on foot and in all-terrain
vehicles on the heavily wooded mountainside. A helicopter from Wings
Air Rescue conducted an aerial search.

Henson said Arnold had left to go hunting on Monday evening.

Several deputies from the sheriff's department went back on the
mountain Wednesday morning to continue the investigation. The search
and investigation were hampered by cold weather and snow on the
mountaintop.

Henson said Arnold's rifle was found under the snow.

The sheriff's department was joined by officers from the U.S.
Forest Service because the area was inside the Cherokee National
Forest. Gary McWherter of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was
also on the scene.

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